There was some exciting news out of Lawrence, Kansas last week, as the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau announced that they’d received a grant to help fund an event called the Tour of Lawrence, a USA Cycling-sanctioned three-day cycling race that is intended to take place over the Fourth of July holiday, and which will feature three events with professional, amateur, and youth divisions racing on the streets of Lawrence.

Lawrence tourism leaders won a $13,000 state grant Wednesday to help fund a three-day cycling race expected to attract 800 cyclists — including some professional teams — to the city.

The event — dubbed the Tour of Lawrence — would conduct races downtown and on the Kansas University campus. But most important, officials with the Lawrence Convention and Visitors Bureau said, the event would fill hotel rooms, restaurants and stores.

Bob Sanner, executive director of the nonprofit Lawrence Sports Corp., said he’s optimistic the event will come together. He said he’s had good contacts with several professional teams interested in coming to Lawrence for the weekend.

The races would be during the same time of the Tour de France race, and several professional teams that have not qualified for that race may be looking for an event to attend.

“Lawrence is a tremendous cycling community,” Sanner said. “There’s some great local support for an event like this.”

The event is not yet a sure thing. Judy Billings, director of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, said “her group is working to raise about $60,000 in sponsorship money to ensure the event can happen. She said she hopes to be in a position within the next two weeks to say that the event definitely is going to happen.”